The New York Clipper (May 1919)

10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER May 28. 1919 EIGHTY-FIRST STREET (La* Half) Clara and Emily Barry went on in the initi"! position and presented a song, talk sad dance offering good some in spots, bat not so good in other*. A doable ■ong started them off. A few more eons*, with the taller of the girls seated at the piano, followed. Hie shorter of the duo dances. The "Don't Do That" song by the other was followed by an Oriental number, the shorter girl ssB * Ja » j and the other joining her in a dance. -They wore Terr pretty costumes for this .number, and it pfrsjfd A good portion of die comedy ■ muni to get away from die crowd and the dancing could also be improved in places. The offering will get over on the —wti time. Owen McGiveney offered his sketch, "Bill Sykes," in which the main feature hi a series of lightning changes. Some of these were done so rapidly that the audi- ence gasped. Among acta of Una sort, and there are not very many, McGiveney is in a class by himself. The rapidity with which he slips from costume to cos- tume, taking only a few seconds, at times, goes far to substantiate the statement on a slide flashed upon the an e cu to die effect that no one can change aa fast as McGiveney. . Burt and Fagey Dale, originally pro- gramed to open the vaudeville part of the bill, went on after die feature film and ■ the change was a bad one. The turn is certainly not suited for such a pos ition, and encountered many difficulties. Some simpering idiot started a disturbance while the male member of the team was sing- ing a lall,ll j and a portion of the audi- ence joined. The performance certainly did not merit such a reception. The danc- ing ia well done and the offering artistically staged. A less stupid audience would have behaved. Madison and Winchester offered a com- edy t«iwng act which, for the greater part, lacks real cleverness. One of the men does the nsoal not comedy daring die first part of die offering. The act went over well and got the tarn applause. Stone and Kaliz closed the show and scored a big hit with'a splendidly staged song offering called "Romance." They have pleasing personalities and render cleverly a budget of catchy melodies. The offering is one that will appeal to any audience, for it possesses class from beginning to end. . I. 8. VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS McVICKER'S . (Chicago) Knight's Boasters opened Monday after- noon at McYickers with an interesting series of feats, which were well per- formed. TTIa Grannon sang four songs in a clear and distinct voice and was well accepted. Dfkens, McCarthy and Everth, in their Livery Stable Minstrels, aroused a great deal of enhtusiasm, registering distinctly. Willie Smith proved decidedly interest- ing in songs, doing very nicely. Lam on t and White endeavored to put too much into one act with the result that they did not fare extra well. They sang and offered musical numbers. Herbert Brooks presented an ywi«Tin^ bit of magic and sleight-of-hand which was interesting. Friend and Downing registered with their comedy, chatter and parodies. They proved a decidedly clever pair. "Revue a la Carte" is a lively girlie revue, headed by Hazel Kirk. The num- bers are lively and the production has been staged with care. It made a good i mpres sion. Wnhat Troupe offered fast cycling that hit home. -. :: The Nippon -Duo, Chinese singers and musicians, proved interesting.. They are excellent musicians and good vocalists. ' " .- -i... .•_?. - -» H. F. Rl S and t) FIFTH AVENUE (Last Half) Clyde Nelson and company followed Mabel Bnrke, who rendered an animated song, and offered a novel joggling and manipulating act, which was fairly well Uked. _,.,-, Janet Moore, on number two, ; ,found her position a. difficult -one and- had to work hard to escape; finishing in the rack. She rendered several songs in fair fashion. The parody on an operatic medley was not a very good closing number, however. Wilfred Clarke and company, in a com- edy playlet entitled "His Reel Trouble," won a number of laughs, but a weak end- ing handicapped them. The offering will be reviewed under New Acta. Patricola scored die big hit of the bill with a repertoire of popular songs which she pat over with a bang.-. She caught the crowd at the very start, and, thereafter, all was easy for her. The dance finish,' where she went through a grotesque offer- ing with wiggles, made the audience ap- plaud her to the ech*. Sidney Phillips, with a collection of songs and stories, registered heavily. One or two of his gags have been heard rather frequently and could well be replaced. Some of the others, however, are'new and drew laughs, particularly he "Leonard" story. James "Fat" Thomps o n, followed the Salvation Army drive with his skit in blackface called "The Oamofleurs." The spectacle of the two characters daubing whitewash over each other, proved to be a -scream, and kept the audience roaring with laughter. Mary Haynes and company rendered a few popular melodies in a manner that won favor and brought them their share of applause. Winston's Water Lions* and Diving Nymphs gave an exhibition of aquatic stunts that held the audience in until the very last minute. The turn is entertain- ing from beginning to end. L S. AUDUBON (Last Half) . : The Geni Trio opened the bill with a good acrobatic offering. The three women did a number of thrilling stunts on the tra- peze, pot in some iron-jaw work and closed with a fast whirling feat. Borne and Qninn took a big hand with their dance offering. The act is very much like the Lexey and Rome skit, but a'few songs and some patter have helped to liven it up. Rome kept the house laughing with his eccentric comedy steps. Emmett Welch's Minstrels scored well with songs and jokes. Another dance or so would aid the act and speed it up, as the offering is in need of a little more life. "The Girl in the Basket" pleased with her song cycle. The offering is presented in the same manner as that of "The Girl in The Air." only this one comes out in a basket illuminated with roses. She is "a pretty blonde and her voice pleases. She came near losing her slipper to a few in. the audience, but kept herself oat of their, reach. Joseph K. Watson, as Abe Kabibble, proved to be a riot of laughter." His make- up, patter and gags, are great He told about his car and his family. Describing his daughters, he said, "one of which is pretty and the other I can trust any-place." Harry Delf; assisted by Willie White, in the closing position, stopped the picture from going on. He has 'a good personality and , deli vers his material very well. With better material be: should please on die big G. J. H. HAMILTON (Fir*. Half) . Chong is quite an entertaining China- man. He sang ballads in a cooing sort of fashion the while be strummed a guitar. He presents a clean sort of act that should ultimately be seen in big time houses.' Manning, Feely and Knolls, a male singing trio, one of whom is a Hebrew character performer, managed tobefork up enqugh .interest in their-■ doings to gain for them mos|;[jheartv,; approval. They have, a sure-fire small time offering. Gilen. Carlton and company, in an in- teresting playlet entitled "The Slippery Duck," made quite an impression. The acting of the three players who 'interpreted the skit was praiseworthy. Elsie White, with her entertaining reper- toire of character songs, pleased her audi- ence to the extent of being called upon to take two encores. Tall and blond is Elsie, and she has a personality that is alto- gether in her favor. At this bouse her act went over with a bang, c; it probably will always do in the small time houses. But oyer the larger circuits, Elsie will nave to look to her laurels, for she has yet to learn the niceties of interpreting songs in dialect, an art which makes Fannie Brice, Ionian Shaw and one or two others artists, rather, than.performers.' Hackett and JJelmar are a ■T«"" l "g dno who also sing. Just about the time when one gets to wondering why .they sing, Hackett does a dance alone. He is quite gawky, this Hackett man. Miss- Delmar, while not very much better than her part- ner, at least suggests in her solo dances that she has had some terpgichorean train- ing. The saving grace of their act is the beautiful setting and pretty costumes worn by Miss Delmar. They tend to enhance the effect of their limited abilities. H.L A HARLEM OPERA HOUSE (Last Half) Turrelli opened the bin with his novel harmonica offering. With the month or- gan, he put over a miniature drama, offered classical selections and a variety of num- bers that were excellently done. He has a novel act and handles his material' ex- ceptionally well. Conrad and Mayo found the second spot easy with their comedy offering. This is the third time these boys have played here with this act, and the house finds it as enjoyable as ever. Conrad is an excellent straight,- and Mayo a "corking" comedian. The conductor bit and the Chinese bit proved to be a riot of laughs. John T. Kelly and company are to be congratulated. ' In their sketch, "A Game of Con." they have a skit that is really different from the average. It is a playlet in which two crooks rob their victim—and in which the victim does not torn out to be a detective. Again, said victim does not recover the money, but is contest that they leave him the box which formerly held it. The offering is well acted and presented. Adler and Dunbar will find the going easy after playing a few more weeks to. smooth ont their offering a bit. There are few animal: imitators working now, and this act is put over in a novel man- ner. Moss and Frye, with their nonsensical questions, scored their usual hit. This clever pair always puts in a lot of extem- pore staff and uses a few of the old stand- bys. " * The Three O'Gorman Girls closed the show with .a lot of jazs on instruments, some singing and some dancing, all being well done I They arer'prettjj girls^have good "figures'and do their work welt *" - : «. :.: g. jP.h.;: AMERICAN (Last Half) Cowboy Williams and Daisy opened toe bUl with a weight-catching and juggling act. Daisy started the offering with a song, after which Williams did some jog- gling. The feature of the act consisted of Williams catching cannon balls on his neck. Keene and Foxworth, two colored boys, found- second spot easy going with a num- ber of' songs and dances. The boys are dandy: steppers, and deliver their numbers I Jean and Jacques would .do weU to leave ont the..Opening part.of the act and get a new line .of comedyi or else just stick to the «bnjjtfrtion, which is exeenently (r done. . There, are a number of contortionists in vaudeville now, bnt hardly_nny with an act on the style Of this-one." 3 * .Ward and Pry or are using the same old material, but one can fit through it more than once, as handled by these two. Mar- tha Pryor certainly knows how to deliver a "bines" song and another one in the act -would be acceptable. The team can easily handle better -stuff. McNally, Dinas and DeWolfe went well with a. dance offering. The act can be im- proved, a good deal with the addition of more material, either in the line of patter, or atngtng and dancing. Josephine Leon hart, a very pretty, little girl, who dresses and looks as if she was twelve or thirteen years old, proved con- clusively, before-she- got through^ that she is a comer. She has a pleasingivoice, and when it. comes - to deUvery, aboo-is "all there." After a Chinese number and an- other song, she gave an imitation of Harry Lander that was a pleasure to see. 'An Irish jig. done in a manner to make any Irishman's heart.warm to her, sent bet off to a big hand. "Which One Shall I Marry," a playlet with a moral, ■ pleased. The offering is "old stuff," from start to finish. It is based on" the problem' of a girl who is courted by two men, one rich, the other poor. Tie action shows.what would hap- pen if she married either one, and natur- ally, the poor man wins. Armstrong and James closed the show with a dandy comedy offering. It-will be reviewed under New Acts. G. J. H. MAJESTIC (CUcaco) Nolan and Nolan opened the bill with juggling of the catchy kind. Adams and Griffith introduced a rube comedian, who possesses a good voice of wide range. The numbers were pleasingly rendered. Walter Fennier and company presented a sketch which was weU acted throughout but fafled to register. Claudius and Scarlet scored a big hit with the exceHent banjo playing. Their act is away from the usual musical offer- ing, and is artistic and sure fire on any MIL To-To, the clown, carried off the honors of the bill. His novelty attracted the entire house, and he registered a substan- tial ML Eddie Borden and his one-stringed violin, with Frederick Courtney at the piano, found much favor. Songs and stories were nicely handled and met with appreciation. John B. Hymer and company in "Tom Walleer in Dixie," scored, many laughs. The act is familiar here.and always finds a big welcome. *- : '#a Stella, Mayhew, suffering i from a severe cold, was obliged to call on Eddie Borden and partner to assist her and save the act. The boys did well, and,Miss Mayhew pulled through as well as could, ie ex- pected. The Flemings closed: the show, but failed to hold hardly any. of thj&audi- en'ce, due to tie length of the program. '.. - -: HTFv.R. - ' .* " -. "'-. ^ . ' ' - ' '